This invention relates to sports training and practice devices and in particular to an audible tone generating gripped shaft having a convoluted interior tube.
Many sports involve the swinging of a grip ended instrument such as a tennis racket, baseball bat, or golf club. One component of training can be the development of a consistent swing, however aside from feel and results, it is difficult for an individual to determine whether or not his or her swing is being reproduced consistently. While a wide variety of training aids have been developed and proposed, in general such devices are not specifically directed to consistent repeatability of swing. For example, in connection with golf training devices, the prior art has generally been more concerned with assisting the golfer in striking the ball correctly, a impact condition existing at the moment of contact between the club head and the ball. While such training takes into consideration factors such as direction, angulation and position, club speed and the consistency of swing are generally not measured. Devices such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,037 emphasize the desirability of training for obtaining consistent swing, however rely on body position devices. Other devices which rely upon audible indicators are designed to produce a single sound such a click when particular swing conditions are met such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,419. While it has been recognized that elongated devices when moved through the air can produce a sound, such devices are inappropriate for training of swing either because they are flexible and therefore unlikely to be consistent in sound, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,405,138; 5,395,278 and 4,034,499 or because they failed to provide the proper feel and weight of a sports implement.
It would therefore be an advance in the art to provide a sound producing sports swing training and practice device where consistency of swing produces a consistent repeatable audible toned pattern during the swing and where the device can be adapted to provide an appropriate weight and feel for the designated sport.
My invention provides an improved swing training and practice device which consists of a substantially rigid tube which may be configured for the appropriate sport to resemble, in length, different sports devices such as a tennis racket, a baseball bat or a golf club and which is provided with a grip at one end appropriate to the sports instrument and a weight adjacent the opposite end appropriate to the weight and balance of a representative sample of the sports instrument. The tube is hollow and contains interior thereof, a corrugated tube such as an accordion pleat tube. The corrugated tube is positioned adjacent the weighted end and extends along the length of the substantially rigid tube a distance sufficient to provide a sound when the rigid tube is swung. The pitch of the sound is believed to be determined primarily by the length and corrugation dimensions of the interior tube together with the length of the semi-rigid tube. The tubes combine to provide a substantial sound which changes in its characteristics such as frequency (pitch) and/or amplitude (loudness) dependant upon the speed of movement of the device through the air. Because of the different speeds, the audible signal detected by the user""s ear varies during the course of the swing. By repeated practice to produce a constantly reproduced sound pattern from onset of swing through point of desired impact, the user can learn a naturalxe2x80x9cgroovedxe2x80x9d swing producing the maximum natural speed at the presumed point of impact.
In an embodiment of the invention, a golf swing training and practice device is provided having an over all length of approximately 37 in., having a grip area of normal golf club grip dimensions at one end and a weight collar positioned adjacent the other end. The device can preferably be made of substantially rigid tubing such as PVC tubing. The interior is hollow and contains an inner tube of commercially available corrugations. This flexible tube extends from adjacent the weighted end to adjacent the distal end of the grip section and has an inner diameter approximately the same as the end openings at the grip end and the weighted end. When swung the device produces an audible sound which increases in intensity with the speed of the swing.
In a further embodiment, the corrugated flexible tube is surrounded by a spacer extending between the outer diameter of the corrugated flexible tube and the inner diameter of the substantially rigid tube and which contacts the tubes at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points.
In another embodiment, the training device consists of a plurality of substantially rigid hollow elongated sections joined permanently together and including an end section provided with a grip appropriate for the sports implement being approximated, an elongated section extending from the grip section having a substantially constant inner diameter and receiving a flexible corrugated hose member in a relatively uncompressed state terminating adjacent an open distal end of the elongated member with the distal end of the elongated member being fitted with exterior weight adjusting substantially rigid members.
Various features and objects of the invention will be explained in greater detail in the preferred embodiment described hereinafter.